M takes a Holiday
by liz1967
Summary: What happens when the head of MI6 is forced to take a few days off.
1. Chapter 1

**For FebaForever15, hope this cheers you up :)**

Mallory was pacing around his office with a rather perplexed look on his face as M glared at him with a look that could stop running water.

"M, my decision is final. I've been going over the reports from the HR department and you have accumulated a sum total of 3197 hours of unused sick leave and personal time, which amounts to 399 and a half days and at some point you are going to have to take some of it!" he said in a rather agitated tone

"Mr. Mallory, I don't need sick leave as I am rarely sick and as far as personal time..."

"Effective immediately, all personnel are required to use their allotted personal time and that includes you. Now under the circumstances, I cannot have you using all 3197 hours at one time, but I think a week isn't asking too much"

"I don't think you understand. I cannot just go flitting off to parts unknown whenever the spirit moves me, I have responsibilities and..."

"And your staff had proven on more than one occasion that they are perfectly capable of running your department in your absence..."

"That's only because I am never more than phone call away" she snapped

"Well in this case you will be!" he snapped back "I've also just been going over your semi-annual physical results..."

"And I am in perfect health" she said defensively

"Yes, your temperature is normal, you weight is normal and your reflexes are normal, however, your blood pressure...not so much" he retorted "Now either you agree to take some time off or I..."

"Or you'll what?" she asked sharply

"I will force you to take the time off, and I guarantee that if I have to force you to go, you will not enjoy my choice for a holiday destination!"

"Good luck with that" she said coolly as she stood up and stormed out of the office.

"You just think about what I said M" he called after her "I'm serious, either you choose a destination soon or I will"

"Is there a problem Sir?" asked Mallory's secretary with a rather bewildered look on her face

"No...No problem, just stubborn people" he snapped "Would you please contact Commander Bond and ask him to come to my office as soon as possible, I have a feeling that I'm going to need his assistance with this situation"

A few hours later, James sat in Mallory's office shaking his head in disbelief.

"399 and 1/2 days...are you sure?"

"That's just what she's accumulated so far, she is due to receive another 8 weeks time next month" he said in a disgusted tone

" Well, I can understand your problem, but as far as getting her to actually leave and have no contact with her staff, you would have better luck teaching a pig to walk on stilts" he said with a laugh

"That's where you come in. I will take care of getting her to her destination, one that will be completely without the advantage of technology, and you're job is to keep her there"

"Oh great, piss her off and then leave her for me to deal with, how exactly is this fair to me?"

"There is nothing in your job description that says it is to be fair, so go and pack your bags and remember no technology"

"Just where are we going? If I may ask?"

"You may, however it is my prerogative to keep the location a secret, even from you. I will have a driver pick you up. You will be waiting when she arrives and should she ask, all you were told is that your mission is to keep an eye on a difficult target"

"So let me get this straight, you're going to kidnap her, for lack of a better word, and then you want me to lie to her?"

"Well, not to put too fine a point on it, but yes"

"I'm sorry Mr. Mallory, but I simply will not lie to her"

"Then tell her whatever you want, just keep her there, understand?"

"Do I have a choice?"

"No!"

"Well, since you put it that way, it will be my pleasure to babysit M for a few days" replied James as he rose to leave

"Just see to it that she relaxes a bit. I don't mean to alarm you, but her blood pressure has been a bit high lately and it is in her own best interest that she goes along with this as peacefully as possible"

"Is it that serious?"

"Not yet, but it could become a problem if we don't address it here and now, so you see, I'm not just being a bloody pain in the arse, I really do care about her"

"Enough said. Leave it to me, I'll see to it that she relaxes one way or the other"

"Thanks Bond, I knew I could count on you"

"No, what you actually mean to say is that I am the one agent she can't intimidate"

"Well, that too" replied Mallory with a laugh

"One thing, How will I get in touch with you should there be a problem?"

"My driver will have a set of instructions for you, should the need arise"

"You've thought of everything. Have you ever considered becoming a travel agent?"

"Very funny Bond. I'll be in touch"

As James left Mallory's office, the same thought kept running thru his head.

"This isn't going to end well"

TO BE CONTINUED...


	2. Chapter 2 chapter 2

**For RebaForever15, hope this makes you smile :)**

M arrived at her flat a little past 9:00 pm, which was a record, considering the horrendous few weeks she had experienced. As soon as she walked thru the door, she immediately kicked off her shoes and headed for the liquor cabinet to pour herself a large scotch and then promptly collapsed on her sofa. In addition to her busy week, she was still fuming at Mallory's insinuation that she was not well and needed to take some time off.

"It will be a cold day in hell before I take time off just for the sake of taking time off!" she muttered to herself as she took a sip of her drink "Who does he think he is, insisting that my department can get along without me? If he only knew what I deal with an a daily basis he would soon change his tune"

As she was about to take another sip of her scotch, she heard the doorbell and unhappily put her drink down to go and answer the door. "This had better be good!" she sputtered as she made her way to the door.

Upon opening the door, M found two rather large and less than amused men staring back at her.

"Can I help you?" she asked sharply

"Ma'am, we have orders to give you twenty minutes to pack a bag, and then we are to escort you to the airport"

"Whose orders!" she demanded

"Mr. Mallory Ma'am"

"Well, you can tell him to go to hell! I have more important things to do than pacify him by taking an unplanned holiday at the moment!"

"Ma'am. All due respect, but his orders were that if you resisted then we were to take you without your bags and you would just have to make do with the clothes on your back." replied one of the men "Between you and me Ma'am, I would really rather you go and pack a bag and sort this out with Mr. Mallory in the morning" he whispered

"You do realize that I could have you both arrested for kidnapping!"

"Actually Ma'am you can't because we have written orders stating that we are taking you into protective custody at the request of the PM, and there isn't an agency in all of London that would be willing to countermand those orders"

"I see" she replied angrily "Wait here while I go pack" she said sharply

"Oh and Ma'am, just one more thing. You aren't allowed to take you phone or your laptop"

"Oh he's gone too far this time" she said as she stormed into the sitting room and grabbed her phone, furiously dialing Mallory's direct line.

"Yes M, how can I help you" asked Mallory, not at all surprised by the call.

"What the bloody hell is wrong with you?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"Are you seriously forcing me to take a Holiday against my will?"

"I warned you that if you didn't agree, then I would take matters into my own hands"

"You cannot do this! It is not within your authority"

"No, but once I explained the situation to the PM, he was more than willing to make an exception given the circumstances"

"What circumstances?"

"I simply explained that it is a matter of National Security"

"National Security my arse..."

"M, we have had this discussion. You may call this a Holiday or a forced Medical leave, the choice is yours, however the result is the same. You will some time off and you will relax, now go pack your bags and have a nice trip and I will speak to you in one week" he said before hanging up abruptly

M hung up her phone and glared at the two men now standing in her foyer.

"Wait here!" she snapped as she stormed up the stairs

Within a few minutes M returned with her travel bag.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" she snapped impatiently

"Sorry Ma'am, but our instructions are to search you bag for any technological contraband"

"Now what the hell type of "Technological Contraband" could I possibly fit in an overnight case?" she said in an irate tone "Obviously this case is too small for a laptop!"

"But it is big enough for a phone"

"My phone is on the table genius" she smirked

"Begging your pardon Ma'am, but is this really all you're taking for a week?"

"I have NO intention of being gone for more than a few hours, so this will do" she retorted angrily

Having searched the bags and found no phones, radios, I Pads or small computers the escorts were comfortable with leaving.

"You understand Ma'am that we're just following orders" said one of the men rather apologetically

"Yes, and for that you will both receive gold stars" she replied sarcastically as she headed out the door to the car.

TO BE CONTINUED...


	3. Chapter 3 Chapter 3

M was very quiet as she was escorted first to the special section of Heathrow airport, the part that was reserved for MI6, then she boarded a helicopter and was flown to Dover, then she was then placed on a rather small boat which headed out into the channel before it made a sharp turn, and began to head north toward Kingsdown.

"Where exactly are we going?" she yelled, trying her best to be heard over the motor and the crashing waves

"I'm sorry Ma'am, but I'm not at liberty to say" replied the Captain

"What do you mean you really can't say?"

"Sorry Ma'am, but those are my orders"

"You know, you're about as bloody useful as an ashtray on a motorbike!" she snapped as she sat down and tried to cover herself with a blanket to keep from being drenched by the spray of the water

After what seemed like an eternity, M could just make out what appeared to be a small island in the distance with the help of the moonlight. As the boat got closer she could see a dock and several solar lights lining a path, which seemed to disappear into a heavily wooded area, but there did not appear to be any lights from any buildings visible. As the Captain was pulling the boat up to the dock, M glanced at her watch and discovered that it was just past two thirty in the morning. "No wonder there aren't any lights, any reasonable person would be asleep at this hour" she angrily thought to herself

"Here we are Ma'am, safe and sound" said the Captain as he extended his hand to help her out of the boat

"And where exactly is here?"

"Here is a remote little Island that is used for survival training for MI6" he replied as he reached down and grabbed her overnight bag, handing it to her "If you follow the lights to the top of the hill you will find the cabin"

"What the bloody hell do you mean "If I follow the lights" It's nearly three o'clock in the morning, aren't you going to escort me up there?"

"Sorry Ma'am, but my orders are to drop you off at the dock. Just follow the solar lights and you'll be fine" he replied

"But what if I get..."

"Just follow the lights" he said again

"Just follow the lights..." she mimicked sarcastically under her breath "You sound like Glinda from the Wizard of Oz "Just Follow the Yellow Brick Road" and you'll be fine, well, it will be on your head when I fall and break my neck"

After giving her last statement some careful consideration, he reached into his pocket and handed her something.

"I'm not supposed to do this, but here" he said handing her a small flashlight "See you in a week" he said with a wink as he shoved off

M stood on the dock and glared at the Captain as he turned the boat around and headed away from the dock. Once she had convinced herself that he really was not going to turn back, she angrily switched on the flashlight and headed up the path to the "cabin" she had been told was at the top of the hill. "There had damn well better be a cabin up here when I get to the top" she muttered to herself as she started to follow the path into the woods. Although it had relatively bright on the dock, thanks to the moon, the further she walked up the path the more the trees shut out the light, making it impossible to see more that a few feet on either side of the path. At one point she stopped and turned back to find that she could no longer see the dock behind her. "Oh that's just perfect!" she thought "It's nearly three o'clock in the bloody morning and I'm stumbling around in the woods like a complete idiot" After a few more steps, she could see a clearing and what appeared to be "The cabin". It's about damn time" she thought as she climbed the last few steps to the door. "Let's hope the fool remembered to unlock the door" she grumbled as she turned the knob. Surprisingly the door was unlocked so she proceeded inside, fumbling around on the wall, trying to find a light switch which, of course, there was none. "Fantastic!" she said as she flung her bag on the sofa, only to hear a rather unhappy groan

"Hey!...watch where you're throwing things" she heard a man's voice say

M quickly turned the light in the direction of the sofa only to find a rather unhappy and half-asleep Bond staring back at her.

"Bond...is that you?" she said hesitantly

"Yes, it's me, could you please not shine that bloody light directly in my eyes" he snapped

"What the hell are you doing here?" she asked as she diverted the light from his eyes

"Waiting for you or rather babysitting you" he replied sounding slightly annoyed

"You have got to be kidding, and he has the nerve to reprimand me for unnecessary expenditures. I can't wait to see how he is going to explain this on an expense report!"

"Well, it's not like this was my idea of the perfect assignment" he retorted

"Well at least your assignment will be short lived...Give me your phone" she said impatiently

"Umm..."

"Bond this is not the time for umm, I said give me your phone" she repeated, holding out her hand

"Err...well, I can't exactly do that"

"What do you mean you can't do that, I said give me your phone, and if you tell me you have orders not to, so help me god I'll knock you into next week" she snapped

"I would love to give you my phone except I don't have it" he replied sharply

"What do you mean you don't have it? What kind of moron allows themselves to be taken to a basically deserted island, in the middle of the night, without a phone?" she snapped

Bond just stared at her, arching his eyebrow before rolling his eyes.

"Never mind, don't answer that" she snapped

"Look, my phone, along with any other electronic devices, including my watch, were confiscated at the dock"

"He thinks he is so smart. It's a good thing I'm stuck on this island" she said angrily

"Well, as long as you're here, you might as well make the best of it" he said picking up her overnight bag

"And just where do you think you're taking that" she demanded

"I left the bedroom for you. I think it would be a good idea if you get some sleep, and we'll discuss our options in the morning"

"In case it has escaped you're notice, it is already morning" she said sarcastically

"Is this how it's going to be for the next week? I say back and you say white?"

"Give me that!" she said sharply, as she grabbed her bag and headed toward the bedroom, slamming the door behind her

"This is definitely way above my pay scale" he muttered as he curled up on the sofa and went back to sleep

TO BE CONTINUED...


	4. Chapter 4 chapter 4

**Finally, a few free minutes to write :)**

James was the first to wake, taking special care not to make any unnecessary noise as the last thing he wanted to do was wake M prematurely. He had been the recipient of her epic, sleep deprived rants before and had learned to avoid them whenever possible. In order to hopefully avoid such a meltdown, James busied himself by first building a fire, as the cabin had no furnace, and there was quite a chill in the air, and second by making the all-important pot of coffee. Regardless of the mood she was in when she woke up, coffee always had a way of calming her down.

"Good morning M" said James cheerfully as she appeared in the kitchen doorway

"There is nothing GOOD about this particular morning" she snapped

"Well this might help" he said handing her a steaming cup of coffee, black, just the way she liked it.

"Thank you" she replied taking the cup "Why the hell is it so bloody cold in here?"

"Because this is a cabin in the woods, not the Holiday Inn" he said

"I suppose that in addition to the lack of heat, we also have no hot water"

"Well not exactly, there is a small generator for the fridge, but I think I can wire it to also work the hot water heater as well"

"Just so long as you don't blow us to kingdom come in the process"

"I think I can manage a simple rewire thank you very much" he snapped, his cheerful mood quickly disappearing

As James searched around the kitchen for the proper tools, he noticed that M seemed to be shivering a lot more than she should be. It was a bit chilly, but not so cold that her lips should be blue, and she appeared to be abnormally pale.

"Are you feeling alright?" he asked with a hint of genuine concern in his voice

"Just peachy" she said sarcastically

James could tell by her tone that she was not exactly telling the truth so he headed to the sofa and returned with a blanket, which he promptly draped over her shoulders.

"Here, why don't you come and sit by the fire while I go and see about getting us some hot water" he said

"Do stop fussing James, I'm fine" she snapped as she clenched her teeth to keep them from chattering

"Please  
forgive me if I don't believe you" he said as he knelt beside her and felt her forehead "You've got a fever"

"What...are you a Doctor now as well as an overpriced babysitter?"

"Will you for one second stop being so damn difficult. You've gone and caught a chill and if we don't get you warmed up, you're just going to get worse."

James managed to locate a hot water bottle and not having the benefit of any hot water, used the next best thing

"Here, hold on to this until I can get the water to a reasonably warm temperature" he said sharply

"If we have no hot water, just exactly WHAT did you put in here?"

"Coffee. Think of it as a medicinal thermos" he said with a wink

"That is ridiculous, not to mention a complete waste of good coffee" she replied

"Any port in a storm M"

"You're loving every second of this aren't you?" she said as she glared at him

"Now that you mention it, No! Not especially. I could have found this whole fiasco entertaining, but not if you are sick. That puts an entirely different spin on things"

"I should think you would enjoy seeing me incapacitated, it would mean that you're job just got a lot easier" she replied in a somewhat softer tone

"M, I do love our endless banter back and forth, in fact it is always the highlight of my day, and truth be told I think you enjoy it as well to a point, but I really don't want to see you incapacitated...It takes the fun out of needling you"

"Why James, for a second there you almost sounded like you care" she said with a hint of sarcasm

James stopped what he was doing and stared at her with an expression of both surprise and hurt on his face

"Why would you think I wouldn't care? You are my friend as well as by boss, at least that's what I thought" he replied quietly

M shifted uncomfortably in her chair as she pulled the blanket closer around her

"I'm sorry James that was uncalled for. Of course you care, otherwise you would have found some way to avoid this assignment" she said as she reached out and brushed a few strands of hair from his forehead

James reached up and captured her hand, only to find that is was cold as ice.

"I'd better get going on that rewiring" he said with a smile "And I'll get some more wood for the fire as well"

"While you're doing that, I think I will go in and lie down for a bit. It's not as if I have any place to go at the moment anyway" she said. When she stood up, she momentarily lost her balance, but James quickly reached out and put his arm around her to keep her from falling.

"Are you sure you're alright?" he asked again

"It's nothing...really. I just stood up too fast is all" she said with an unconvincing smile

"Has this happened before?"

"Once or twice...It's nothing, I'm fine"

"All the same, let's get you back into bed, and I'll come and check on you when I've finished rewiring the generator" he replied as he led her back to the bedroom

M reluctantly allowed him to assist her to the door and managed to make her way back to bed, pulling the blankets around her as she continued to shiver.

It took James the better part of an hour to locate enough proper tools and extra wire to rig the hot water heater. Once he was satisfied that it was heating properly he went out and got more wood for the fire and then began perusing the cupboards to see just what Mallory intended them to eat for the next week. M had been very quiet so James decided to check on her. When he opened the bedroom door, he could see that she was curled up on her side with the blankets pulled up around her so that he could barely see the top of her head. As he reached the bed, he could see that she was sleeping peacefully, and he hated the idea of waking her just to see how she felt, so he leaned down and softly kissed her forehead, just to see if her fever had broken.

M's eyes flew open and she found herself staring into the most incredible and yet annoying blue eyes.

"James! What the hell do you think you're doing?" she demanded in a rather hoarse tone

"I...I was just checking to see if you still had a fever" he replied defensively

"Why did you kiss my forehead? You could have just asked"

"Isn't that how Mothers check to see if their children are running a fever?"

M did her best not to laugh at him as he stood by the bed with the most sincere and confused look on his face.

"Thank you for your concern James, but I'm fine" she said making a face as she cleared her throat

"You're not!" he said with a worried look as he sat down beside her

"It's just the start of a cold, nothing to worry about" she replied as she reached out and took his hand." "Look, if you really want to be useful, why don't you go fix something for lunch"

"What I would really like to do is contact Mallory and get you home to your nice warm flat"

"You'll do no such thing. I will NOT give him the satisfaction of taking a SICK day" she snapped "And just what do you mean contact Mallory? I thought you said you didn't have a phone?"

"I don't, but I do have a flare" he replied

"What are we supposed to do with a flare? Start a large bonfire and hope someone sees it?"

"Mallory said there are no cameras or hidden microphones on the island and if we ran into trouble we were to shoot off the flare. Apparently he has some knob head, who was in desperate need of disciplinary action, watching from shore, and they will sail in to the rescue, should we need them."

"Oh great " she huffed "I hope he knows that this is coming out of his budget and NOT mine"

"Well, you have to give him credit. This time he really did think of just about everything" replied James with a smile

"How did the rewire go?" she asked, abruptly changing the subject

"Fine. The water should be just about ready"

"Good. I'll go and take a shower and try to warm up while you prepare lunch" she said as she started to untangle herself from the blankets

She was halfway across the room when she glanced at her overnight bag and rolled her eyes

"What's wrong?" he asked

"Well, I had only planned on being gone less than a day, and I didn't expect to be held captive on a primitive island in a cabin with no heat or hot water, so you could say that I did not really pack for the occasion" she replied

"Believe it or not, he planned for that as well. If you will just look in the chest of drawers, I think you will find everything you need" said James with a grin

"That cheek little buggers thought of everything hasn't he?' she said in a disgusted tone

"Almost."

"What do you mean almost?"

"His taste in scotch leaves a lot to be desired." he said ducking out the door

"This is going to be a long week" the thought as she headed off for her shower

TO BE CONTINUED...


	5. Chapter 5 Chapter 5

**Sorry this chapter took so long. Very busy at work lately. Hope you enjoy :)**

James was just finishing preparing lunch when M appeared in the doorway dressed in a rather unusual choice of clothing. It was all he could do not to laugh as he quickly turned back to the stove to finish warming the soup.

"It would appear that Scotch isn't the only thing Mallory is lousy at choosing" said M in a rather annoyed tone

M choices in clothing were limited and she finally ended up in a pair of gray sweat pants that were about seven inches too long and two sizes too big along with a matching sweatshirt that was large enough for both she and James to fit with room to spare.

"Well they say it's the thought that counts," replied James with a rather comical smirk on his face "You do realize that if you had only packed a bag as you were told you wouldn't be in this situation"

"And you realize that if you had only used the training that you have been given we wouldn't be HERE having THIS discussion" she snapped

"I don't want to fight with you M," replied James quietly

"Quite right. We are here for the foreseeable so we may as well make the best of it"

"I'm glad to see that you are warming to the idea of a little time off"

"Oh, I'm not warming to the idea, not in the least" she said as she took a seat at the table

"I was only following orders M. Mallory, bless his little pointed head, had a point..."

"And just what might that be?" she asked as she stirred her soup slowly

"You needed a break, and even you have to admit your accumulated holiday time and sick time was just a bit excessive to say the least"

"So I've accumulated a few more hours than the average person..."

"399 and a half days!...Really? You call that a few? That's nine and a half years, give or take, of time off that you've neglected to take!"

"Well I've been a little busy and it isn't nine and a half years, it's just over a year" she snapped

"If you figure that you have eight weeks a year then it figures out to the nine and a half years you have ignored your time off" he replied dryly

" Look who's talking! When, may I ask, is the last time YOU took a proper holiday? and being here does not count!" she asked bluntly

"And just where exactly am I supposed to go? The last thing I want to do when I come home from a mission is pack my bags and begin traveling around the world, most of which I have already seen courtesy of Her Majesty!" he snapped

"My point exactly!"

"What is your point exactly? You're in your office taking care of the daily office stuff while I'm away on my missions..."

"What are you trying to say? Do you honestly think that I just sit in my office all day playing scrabble with Tanner while you're away on your missions? It may interest you to know that I spend the majority of my day either in Q branch or in the War room keeping an eye on you to make sure that you come home in one piece!" she said angrily as she stood and started to walk away from the table.

James knew the instant he spoke that he had hit a nerve and immediately rose to follow her. By the time he reached her side he could tell that something was wrong by the way she was gripping the door frame and he gently put his arm around her and guided her to the sofa.

"M, are you alright?" he asked as he helped her to sit

"I'm fine!" she snapped, attempting to pull away from him

"You need to relax" he said quietly as he sat beside her rubbing soothing circles on her back "You are so tense you could bounce a quarter off your back" he said in amazement "Let me massage your neck and shoulders, and see if that helps" he said turning and putting his strong hands on her shoulders

"James, that really isn't necessary I'll be..." she started to say before her voice trailed off as she leaned back into him while he massaged her neck "I haven't had a massage in ages" she finally said as she closed her eyes

"No offense, but I can tell" he replied as he gently attempted to work out one of the knots in her shoulder

"Ouch! That hurts" she said sharply

"Well of course it hurts! What did you expect? You can't carry around this much stress and not expect it to be a little painful" he retorted "You need to learn how to relax"

"And just how do you expect me to relax when you're out on a mission pulling any number of shenanigans that could get you killed at any given moment"

"Oh M...You do care about me" he whispered in her ear as he continued to massage her shoulders and neck

"Of course I care. I'm not the heartless bitch everyone makes me out to be" she replied in an almost hurt tone

"No you're not, I just wish you would let more people see that side of you once in a while" he replied softly as he slid his arms around her waist and leaned back against the cushions, pulling her along with him until she was resting with her back against his chest

"It's not that simple" she stated as she shifted to a more comfortable position in the crook of his arm with her head resting on his shoulder

"I know. It's hard to put the fear of god into people if they know that deep down you're just a pint size teddy bear" he said with a grin

"If you tell anyone, I won't hesitate to end you on the spot" she replied with a slight edge in her voice

"It'll be our little secret" he said as he leaned down and gently kissed her temple "Hey, I think your fevers finally broke"

"I thought I told you to use a thermometer" she said with a laugh as she looked up at him with a smile

"That would require moving, which I have no intention of doing at the moment as I happen to like the position I am currently in" he said with a mischievous grin

"And what position would that be?"

"One that allows me to do this" he replied as he leaned down and captured her lips in a gentle kiss

M was not quite sure how to respond at first. The thought of kissing her favorite agent had scampered thru her head on multiple occasions, but she never thought she would actually do it, and she had to admit she was rather enjoying herself. She turned slightly so that she could reach up to cup his face, and as she did, she immediately broke the kiss and went into full Mother mode as she sat up and began feeling his forehead.

"What the hell are you doing?" he asked, slightly stunned by her actions

"You have a fever" she said with a worried look on her face

"I'm sure it's nothing" he said brushing off her concern" I probably just got too warm while I was standing over the wood burning stove making lunch, you know how hot those stoves can be"

"Maybe so, but I want you to lie down and cover up. I'll go get some more wood for the fire and then I'll make us some tea" she said as she stood up.

"M, it's really nothing" he said as he reached out and took her hand gently kissing the back before he let go

"Well let's just be sure" she replied as she leaned down and kissed his forehead. "You just lie here and rest. You've spent the morning taking care of me. The least I can do is return the favor" she replied as she hiked up her oversized sweat pants and headed to the kitchen.

It was all James could do not to laugh. She looked like a child who had been playing in her mother's wardrobe. She was downright adorable, but he would never tell her that, she was finally starting to relax and trust him, and he was not going to jeopardize that for anything.

TO BE CONTINUED...


	6. Chapter 6 Chapter 6

**Sorry this took so long, hopefully it was worth the wait :)**

James had drifted off to sleep while M was busy making their tea, and when she returned she didn't have the heart to wake him, so she wrapped up in a blanket, curled up in the chair next to the fire, and simply stared off into space, letting her mind wander to happier times in her life. The longer she sat the colder she became and at one point it occurred to her that they were going to be needing more wood for the fire, and soon as the wind had picked up outside and it had begun to rain.

James began to stir, and M rose, still wrapped in the blanket to check his forehead.

"Hey" he said sleepily as he felt her cold hand on his head "How long was I out?"

"Just a few hours" she replied as she pulled the blanket closer

"It's a bit chilly in here"

"Yes, well I've used the last of the wood you brought in earlier, and I was just about to go out and get more..."

"Like hell you will."

"James, I am more than capable of getting a few logs..."

"First of all you'll kill yourself in that get up, which is about 3 sizes too big and second, the cabin is on top of a steep hill, and one wrong step and you'll be at the bottom. I'll go and get it," he said in a rather forceful tone

"Why do you keep insisting that I am helpless?" she grumbled

"You're not helpless, under the right circumstances, but this isn't one of them" he replied with a grin "Let me wake up a bit, and then I'll go and get the wood."

"Fine!" she snapped as she went back to her chair by the fire and began to pout.

"If it will make you feel better, you can hold the door for me"

"Ha ha...very funny" she replied in a less than amused tone

"I'm only looking out for your health and well being M," he said in a serious tone

"I realize that James, it's just that when you do that it makes me feel old and useless"

"You're not old and you're certainly not useless" he replied as he forced himself to get up, shivering as he did "It sure got cold in here fast" he commented

"The wind has picked up and it started to rain" she replied rather absently "You know, there was a time when I could have taken care of myself out here alone, but now..."

"Now you have me so you don't have to worry about the stupid stuff like fire wood and hot water heaters" he said as he gave her shoulder a squeeze "I'll be right back"

While James was out collecting the firewood, M stood up and walked from the main room to the bedroom and back again several times. First with the blanket securely around her and then without. James just stood in the doorway watching her with a puzzled look on his face.

"What's this? A new game of Now you see me, Now you don't?" he asked with as straight of face as he could muster

"Oh don't be ridiculous," she snapped, "I was just trying to see if it was just my imagination or if it really is colder in the bedroom"

"And what is the verdict?"

"Even with the door open it is definitely colder in there."

"And this is a problem because why?"

"Because I WAS going to suggest that you sleep in the bed tonight and I would sleep on the sofa, but due to the temperature difference and your fever, I think you would be better off on the sofa, closer to the fire"

"Now hold on here. You were the one with the fever first, so YOU should sleep near the fire. I'll be fine in there" he replied in protest

"James! As you so aptly pointed out. Apparently I need you for the STUPID stuff and it won't do to have you getting worse, so I will sleep in there and you will sleep out here where it is warm, IS THAT CLEAR?"

James could clearly see that he was not going to win this particular argument, so he dropped the wood next to the fireplace and stormed into the bedroom.

"James! What do you think you're doing?" she shouted as he slammed the door

All she could hear was furniture being shoved around, occasionally hitting the door and then finally the door opened and a set of box springs was launched out into the main room.

"James!... I asked you a question! What are you doing?" she repeated as he continued to shove the springs into the middle of the room

"Solving the dilemma of the sleeping arrangements" he said sounding a bit out of breath as he shoved the sofa up against the wall and positioned the springs on the floor before returning to the bedroom to retrieve the mattress

"And just how is this solving the "Dilemma" as you put it?"

"Now we can both sleep in the bed where it's warm," he replied with an impish grin

"I can't sleep with you!" she said sounding rather shocked at the idea "What would people say?"

"M" he replied as he carried the rest of the bedding to the makeshift master suite "I don't give a damn what people say or think for that matter. This isn't about SLEEPING together, it's about sleeping together, there's a difference"

"That's all very well and nice for you, you don't have to see them every day"

"And you won't have to see them for a week, so it can be our little secret," he said as he leaned over and gave her a quick kiss

"Well just so you don't go getting any ideas..."

"Too late" he said before she could even finish her sentence

"What do you mean Too Late?" she replied suspiciously

"I've had the ideas pretty much since the day I met you"

"That's just plain absurd. I am old enough to be your mother," she protested

"And yet, not more than a few hours ago you kissed me" he said rather smugly as he closed the distance between them

"To be more accurate, YOU kissed ME," she retorted staring up into his incredibly blue eyes

"You didn't seem to mind at the time," he said softly as he reached out to cup her cheek

"James, I just don't know if..." she started to say as he brought his arms around her pulling her close

"Let's not worry about it right now. Right now we need to concentrate on staying warm and healthy, whatever else happens, happens OK," he said quietly as he held her and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.

"It's cold," she said as she snuggled closer to him

"Why don't you go change back into your night clothes and climb into bed and I'll put some more wood on the fire," he replied as he released her

"If it's all the same to you, I think I'll just keep this on, it's warmer"

"You can't possibly be comfortable in that get up. I promise I'll keep my hands to myself, and if you get cold I'll keep you warm...No funny business, I promise," he said sincerely

"You really are impossible you know that" she said as she reluctantly headed toward the bedroom to change

M changed into her nightdress and returned a few minutes later wrapped in a blanket and quickly climbed into bed, pulling the blankets up around her so that only her head was showing. She was so quick that Jams had a difficult time keeping a straight face.

"M" he said trying not to giggle, "Believe it or not, I have seen women in their night dresses before"

"I know, but this is different," she said holding on tightly to the blanket

"How is this different?"

"I am your boss. If I parade around here in my night dress, you will never take me seriously again," she snapped

James just shook his head and laughed as he climbed in beside her.

"Believe me M, Night dress or not I always take you seriously," he said as he leaned over and kissed her goodnight.

TO BE CONTINUED...


	7. Chapter 7 Chapter 7

**Thank you all for being so patient. I know this took a long time, but I hope it was worth it.**

James woke to the sound of the driving rain beating against the cabin roof. The fact that the cabin was one, big, sparsely furnished room, made the rain sound more like an enormous waterfall that could very well wake the dead. The horrendous noise did not, however, appear to be bothering M in the slightest as she lay curled up against James with her head resting on his chest and her arm draped across his waist.

"M...are you awake?" he asked quietly

"I am now" she replied in a none too happy tone

"Isn't the sound of the wind and rain bothering you?"

"Why should it? It's out there and I'm in here" she snapped as she shifted a bit and attempted to go back to sleep

"How on earth can you sleep through this?" he asked as he looked down at her

"I was doing fine until someone suddenly decided to become a chatter box. What seems to be the problem? Are you afraid of storms?" she asked with a yawn

"No problem" he replied as a loud crack of thunder sounded causing M to jump and cling to James more tightly "Now look who's afraid of storms" he said with a laugh

"Oh shut up. I'm not afraid of storms, I just wasn't prepared for that," she snapped

"It's alright M, I'll protect you," he said pulling her closer and resting his head on top of hers

"You seem to be protecting me from a lot of things these days"

"It's my job and my pleasure"

"Knock it off James. I highly doubt that you are deriving any pleasure from being stuck on this island with an old, stubborn woman as your only form of entertainment," she said quietly as she attempted to pull away from him

"And just where do you think you're going?"

"Since I am now fully awake, I decided to go make some tea, unless you think it's too dangerous for me," she said sarcastically

"It's nearly 3:00 in the morning!"

"It's a big world James...I'm sure it's tea time somewhere" she replied as she disappeared into the kitchen

James could tell that he had upset her, how exactly he wasn't sure, but the fact remained that she was now in a full-blown state of agitation, so he decided to get up and after throwing a few more logs on the fire, headed to the kitchen. He stood in the doorway and watched as she attempted to light the stove. After about the fourth attempt, he crossed the room and came to stand behind her, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her back to him.

"You don't really want any tea do you?" he whispered in her ear

"Of course I do," she said as she tried to conceal a slight sniffle

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you"

"I'm fine"

"No you're not, and for the record you are not old. Stubborn yes but not old"

"We really should sit down with a dictionary when we get back and look up the correct definition of old"

"Maybe we should just choose another word to describe you," he said with a sincere smile

"Such as?" she asked as she turned to face him

"Wise...I prefer Wise," he said as he leaned down and gently kissed her.

"Any particular reason you prefer that word?"

"Yes!" he replied without any hesitation "It implies that you are old enough to know better, and yet still young enough to do it anyway"

"And just what would "IT" be"?"

"This" he said as he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her soundly and deeply.

M struggled against him at first and then found herself responding and eventually kissing him back as he began to maneuver them toward the bed.

"James" she said in between kisses "What do you think you're doing?"

James stopped in the middle of the room and stared at her with a look of bewilderment "Isn't it obvious?" he replied

"Of course it's obvious, I just wanted to know why here and why now?" she said with a hint of nervousness in her voice as she desperately tried to look him in the eye

"I'll answer those questions in reverse order. As to the why NOW, because the opportunity had not presented itself until now and the why HERE, aside from the wind and the rain we have a very slim chance of being interrupted"

"Why me?" she asked quietly "You could have your pick of any young, beautiful woman, why would you want me? Or are you just bored and you thought you would try something new?"

A flash of hurt, immediately followed by anger quickly spread across James face. "Why is it so impossible for you to believe that I want to be with you?"

M was about to respond when she looked up and the color suddenly drained from her face, her eyes began to roll back and her knees began to buckle causing James to tighten his grip on her so she wouldn't collapse.

"M" said James in a panic "Can you hear me?" he continued as he gently picked her up and placed her on the bed

"Yes...I can hear you, just keep talking" she replied weakly as she began to drift in and out of conciseness

"Hold on M, I'm going to get you out of here"

M reached out and grasped his hand, pulling him back to her.

"James...Please don't leave me. This will pass, just give it a minute" she said breathlessly

James leaned down and cupped her cheek

"It's ok M, I'm right here, I won't leave you" he replied as he kissed her forehead.

After a few minutes, her breathing returned to something closer to normal, the color began to return to her cheeks, and she was finally able to open her eyes.

"Feeling better?" he asked, the concern still evident in his voice

"Yes, thank you"

"Good. Now to get you off this island" he said as he stood up and went to the kitchen

"What are you looking for?" she asked

"The backup plan" he grumbled as he opened nearly every drawer until he found what he was looking for.

Once he had found it, he opened the front door and stood on the porch, firing the emergency flare Mallory had left for him, before returning to sit beside M.

"What do you think you're doing?" she asked angrily

"Getting you off this island and to a hospital where they can care for you properly" he stated

"James, I've told you I'll be fine, and I have no intention of giving Mallory the satisfaction of..."

"And I have NO intention of losing you due to your stubbornness!" he replied as he gathered her up in his arms, holding her close.

"They'll never be able to reach us in this storm," she said as she clung to him

"They are MI6, you would be surprised at what they can do, especially when they know it's for you" he replied as he began to rock her back and forth

It had been over an hour since James had fired the flare to signal for help and his lack of patience was more than evident as he began nervously pacing around the room.

"They should have been here by now!" he snapped

"James, do sit down. They will come as soon as it is safe" replied M as she motioned for him to sit beside her

James did as he was told and sat down, leaning over her and brushing aside a few stray hairs from her forehead

"Why didn't you tell me this was so serious...Your condition I mean?"

"Because it isn't serious, at least not to the doctors. I have been checked from top to bottom more times than I care to count and so far they haven't been able to find anything wrong"

"But surely they must have some sort of idea what is causing this?"

"They say that until they know what triggers the episode they have no way of treating it, and so far there doesn't seem to be any one particular thing that sets it off. Actually you are the first person to actually witness a full blown episode..."

"Well that should count for something" he retorted

"One would think, however, I'm fine now, so even if you take me straight to the hospital, they won't find anything..."

"Then we'll have you admitted until it happens again"

"James," she said as she reached up to cup his cheek "As well intentioned as you suggestion is, this may not happen again for several days or even weeks, but then again it could be only a few hours. Like I said, I have no idea what causes this so there is no sense worrying about it"

"So we're just supposed to wait around until you collapse again and hope you are at the hospital or down in medical so they can SEE for themselves what happens?" he replied with tears beginning to form in his eyes

M, seeing the pain in his face, reached up, pulled him to her in an almost motherly embrace, and held him to her as he wrapped his arms around her and buried his face in her shoulder.

"Don't worry James, I'll be fine" she said quietly as she kissed the top of his head.

They remained in that position for quite a while until they heard a loud knock at the door causing them both to jump. James untangled himself and nearly ran to open the door to find two very large MI6 security guards staring back at him.

"Commander Bond, sorry for the delay...what is the emergency?" said one of the guards

"It's M...She has taken Ill and needs to be transported back to London to a hospital" he replied as he ushered them in.

"The boat is waiting at the dock. We'll radio ahead and have a high speed helicopter waiting for us as soon as we arrive to take you the rest of the way" replied the guard as he looked down at the very pale M "Don't worry Ma'am, You're going to be alright"

M, wrapped in a blanket, started toward the door.

"What do you think you're doing?" asked James

"I am perfectly capable of making my way down to the boat by myself" she replied in a rather stubborn tone

"We'll see about that!" he snapped as he grabbed another blanket and wrapped it around her before picking her up and heading out the door and down to the boat.

TO BE CONTINUED...


End file.
